A friendly word

Holiness is not an exception, but a call for everyone.

Every November 1, the Church celebrates the feast of All Saints, a time to honor the holiness lived throughout the centuries and to remember that all Christians, without exception, are called to holiness. This feast invites us to reflect on the path of life that holiness represents and to find in the witness of the saints an inspiring model for our daily lives.

“Our life as Christians must reflect his holiness so that there is no contradiction between the faith we profess and the actions we take.”

Holiness is God’s greatest gift to his people, and through the sacrament of baptism, all the faithful receive the invitation to become saints. Far from being an unattainable ideal, this vocation is a daily goal that manifests itself in acts of goodness, in the observance of the commandments and in living the beatitudes. As Pope Benedict XVI affirmed, holiness is, above all, a reflection of the person of Christ, his Gospel and his sacraments. In this sense, our life as Christians must reflect his holiness so that there is no contradiction between the faith we profess and the actions we carry out.

The feast of All Saints reminds us that holiness is not an exception, but a universal call. St. Paul addressed the early Christians, calling them “beloved of God, called to be saints,” thus underscoring that the journey of faith is meant to be a constant transformation toward holiness. For Christians, this journey consists in being intimately united to Christ, being aware that the gift of holiness is also a responsibility to be lived every day.

“The feast of All Saints reminds us that holiness is not an exception, but a universal call.”

This feast is also an opportunity to give thanks for the many examples of holiness that God has sown in his Church. The saints, men and women who, through their self-giving and love, incarnated the Gospel of Jesus, are an inspiration to us. St. Monica, St. Augustine, St. Rita and so many other saints teach us that holiness is cultivated throughout life and that all of us, regardless of our vocation, can attain it. The life of each saint reflects God’s grace and willingness to live in communion with his will, becoming beacons of light and hope for all of us.

To celebrate All Saints is to give thanks for the gift of holiness that God bestows on each baptized person. It is a reminder that each of us is invited to participate in that same vocation, to live the Gospel in daily life, in prayer, in service and in charity. As the Apocalypse tells us, “He who is holy, let him keep on sanctifying himself” (Rev 22:11). May the example of the saints motivate us to live our faith with authenticity and dedication, so that, like them, we may walk towards the fullness of life in Christ.

“To celebrate All Saints is to give thanks for the gift of holiness that God bestows on every baptized person.”

On this feast of All Saints, let us renew our commitment to live the call to holiness in every moment of our lives, in every act of service and in every opportunity to love. May the lives of the saints be our guide, and may we, as the Church, together reflect God’s presence in the world, until we find ourselves in the city of God, in communion and eternal joy.

Fr. Antonio Carrón de la Torre, OAR

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